fighting for myself
by classic charm
Summary: the untold story of Private Jasper Fray who aided in the search and rescue of Private Ryan. it's what happens when a girl not yet of age slips into the army and helps save our favorite paratrooper for reasons only she can understand. T just because. cmplt
1. Chpt 1: cause i'm not in hell yet

**A/N: i dont go for ordinary people.**

"How you feeling Jazz?" he asked.

"Shut up Shaun," I grumbled. I hated the ocean even though I lived by it. Lakes and Oceans were a hell of a lot different. I had an overwhelming urge to throw up right now. The seas weren't exactly calm and I was supposed to be storming a beach in a few minutes. Yeah me.

"Don't make me tell your secret," he threatened even though I knew it was hallow.

"So what, I'm a girl," I said but was careful not to say it too loudly. Jazz can be short for Jasmin too. It actually isn't that hard to sneak into the army if you know how to shoot and curse. Actually, when the doctor who files the report is your brother, it's a helluva lot easier to forge papers. "We're already short handed, I'm sure they won't kick me out."

"Or so you think Jazzy," he raised his eyebrows. Shaun just liked annoying me. "Wanna play a game?"

"Like what?" I groaned as the boat lurched again. "Who can get onto the beach without drowning?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of who can kill the most Germans," he smiled. He had that God damn smile. Sometimes I just wanted to slap it off his face. Shaun was my best friend back home. Nice boy, a little annoying, was going to marry some girl after the war and have 2.3 kids in a suburban house. Yeah, that was Shaun.

"Go away," I groaned clutching my sides. With these baggy clothes it wasn't really hard to hide that I was a girl. I had cut my hair at the beginning of the war but seeing that my hair grew really fast and I hadn't had time to cut it, it was down to my jaw line in a jagged cut. I personally thought it looked cool when I didn't have to but it up in my helmet.

I was half Japaneses so I didn't exactly fit in. I had the black hair and thin face of my mother, but the height of my father. I had six brothers, the only girl in the family, and was amazingly fit. It was either learn how to fight or learn how to eat grass and cows just aren't my thing. That has to be the one thing Shaun and I have in common, we both have three (or more) boys in the family.

He knew who I was minus my blue church dress. When I told him that if he told anyone I would personally see to it that he was the first POW in the unit. Shaun thought that it was a nice joke but didn't tell. Our families knew each other but weren't the best of friends. I knew his brothers, Daniel, James, and Peter. They were pretty cute but weren't my type.

The other thing that Shaun was allowed to tell no one was that I wasn't even old enough to me here. I was still fifteen, fourteen when I signed up for the damn place. In fact, I wasn't even fifteen yet. Four days, June 10th, was my day. Right now all I was doing was hoping I lived to see it.

"Time to play," said Shaun as the front of our boat opened up. "Try to keep up."

Machine gun fire riddled the front men. Something exploded behind me and I grabbed the back of Shaun's gear. I pulled him out of the boat and into the freezing cold water. I remembered what it was like to fall through the winter ice of Northern Iowa. It felt like I was being stabbed by a thousand knives and the moment I tried to cry out my mouth filled with water.

Shaun dragged me up to surface. Sound faded in and out as I went back under water. My helmet came off and my foot caught on something. I looked down to see the dead body of a soldier, his gear caught around my boot. I tried to kick him off but felt myself being pulled down. Shaun grabbed my arm and pulled my up.

I stumbled to catch my footing on the ground. I ripped off the plastic covering my M1 Carbine and blinked the stinging water away from my eyes. Shaun and I went behind the nearest metal, docking block and I crouched down.

There was the sound of gun shots everywhere. A grenade went off by us and I lost my hearing. I didn't mind though, I just kept firing like Shaun. Shaun bent down to reload and I saw him fall back. I had no clue why he had fallen down and looked back to see him face down in the sand, red water lapping in waves around his corpse. I froze.

When the sound flooded back to me so did the war. A bullet caught the edge of my left arm and I snapped around. I rushed up and to the right. Grenades, bullets, hell, a flamethrower even went off around me but I still got to that little bunker next to the barbed wire.

"Who the hell are you?" the guy asked, he was a Captain by the mark on the back of his helmet.

"Private Jasper Fray," I shouted. "Who's in charge?"

"Me! Captain Miller!" he yelled. "Where the fuck is your helmet?"

"Um..." I grabbed one off the ground and put it on. Sand and bloody water clung onto my face. My left arm was bleeding but I was running on pure adrenalin and didn't notice. "What do you need me for sir?"

"How about staying alive?"

"Yes sir!"

He and another man started to set up a Bangalore Torpedo to clear the barbed wire. I scurried away and waited for the "fire in the hole!" I covered my eyes and ears with my arms. The copper taste of blood in my mouth and the bitter smell all around me. I had to train my mind to ignore it. I kept thinking about Shaun, lying in the sand. The bullet hole in between his eyes. My strategy on staying alive for way was not thinking about anything. So far I was failing so I started to identify the guys by the sounds they made. It didn't help seeing that what I heard wasn't sounding at all good.

"Hey soldier!" yelled someone turning me over. "Look alive, you made it this far!"

"Don't jinx it!" I yelled turning over.

"Fire in the hole!" I covered my eyes and ears and tried to ignore the sand pelting my forehead with all of God's wrath. We charged before the black smoke had settled. I just stay in back of whoever was in front of me. When they were shot I jumped over the body and felt another bullet graze the right side of my neck. I was just really lucky today. I only got shot twice.

We hid behind some stone or metal structure. I couldn't tell I was that focused on what the Captian was doing. He stuck a mirror on to a hunting knife and started telling people what to do with a kind of authority people dream of having. Capt. Miller moved a sniper forward and I helped with cover fire. Then I followed the six men who threw a granadeand waited for the Germans to come out. Someone named Doyle blew the place to hell with a flame thrower. We cleared out the trenches and the Germans there surrendered. I moved on, following the Captain.

When I reached the next trench I didn't care who I killed. I just killed them because they killed three of my brothers and my best friend. Even when we were told to seize fire I didn't stop. I actually jammed my M1 Carbine before I stopped. The man who pulled me up in the bunker, his name was Caparzo. He handed another guy a knife and he started crying and I was at a lose.

How did I, the little girl in the blue sweater from Maine, end up here?

"Fray!" Caparzo ordered and I snapped around. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," I said not caring anymore.

He raised his eyebrows. "How old do you feel?"

"Forty," I closed my eyes but couldn't escape the pictures of Shaun. I tapped my breast pocket making sure the picture I had was still there. Yep, I could do this if I had them.

"Why did you sign up for this?" I guess he honestly wanted to know why. Stupidity I guess.

"Because," I said simply. "It was something to pass the time."

"Lost anyone?" someone asked at my left. Another soldier hit him.

"My mother, my brothers, my best friend," I closed my eyes. "And I think my fiance."

"Your name isn't Jasper, is it." Caparzo said. It wasn't a question so much as a statement.

"Jasmin Naomi Fray at your service," I said sitting down because I couldn't feel anything below my waist. The numbness of war had finally gotten to me. It also might have been because i had a piece of shrapnel in my knee. It didn't go deep into my skin but enough to be a minor nuisance. I pulled the scrap of metal out, hardly feeling it, and held it up at eye level.

"May God have mercy on our souls," said someone from behind me.

I went down into the trench and looked and one of the people I had helped kill. It didn't matter to me what we were fighting for. I was fighting for one more kill, one more day. I was fighting for David, Liam, Kevin, and now Shaun. I wasn't fighting to prove anything or to help anyone. I didn't give a rat's ass whether we won or lost the war today. As far as I was concerned, I lost half my family and my best friend.

I was no longer fighting for America. I was fighting for myself.

--  
**pst...review!**


	2. Chpt 2: donte's card game

**A/N: i wont be able to write all that much so read on:**

"Captain!" I said running after him. Jesus Christ, how hard is it to find this guy? "Captain Miller!"

"Yeah," he turned around. "What do you want?"

"It's my understanding you're going on a mission to find Private James Frances Ryan," I said with my hands on my knees.

"And...?"

"I want to go with you."

"No," he said turning around and walking. "Give me one good reason why I should take you on this mission."

"I know him," I said. He stopped and turned around. "Ryan, sir. I know him. We grew up together."

"You're that girl," he said and I winced. "Fray, right?"

"Yes sir," I kept walking with him. "I need to go with you."

"Just because you know Ryan-"

"And his brothers," I said quickly. "Daniel, Peter, and Shawn. All of them. Shawn was my best friend and James knows me so if anyone should tell him it ought to be me."

Obviously I was the only one who understood this logic.

"No."

"Sir!" I said grabbing his arm and spinning him around. "If you want the truth, James knew my fiance, Alex. They both were in the hundred and first air born and if he's alive then I'm sure as hell going to find the both of them."

"If I say yes will you stop bothering me?" he asked trying to walk away but I strengthened my grip on his arm.

"Yes sir."

"Then pack your bags Fray!" I let go of his arm with a smile. "I aint got all day."

I walked away from him and smiled smugly. I had gotten this far which was a blessing in a curse. I was going to find Vince no matter what. He got drafted and I followed less than a week later. I was supposed to be Jasmin Perolli by now. I took the chain from my neck where my engagement ring hung and I held the cool metal.

It was three days since we had stormed the beach. I was ready to leave this place at all costs. Finding James and Alex were major bonuses.

"Fray!" I snapped around to see Caparzo calling me over to a group of other soldiers. Why was he so interested in me being alive? "You going to find Ryan?"

"Hell yeah!" I said jogging over.

"You knew the son of a bitch?" I knew the man by the name Mellish.

"He's my neighbor," God all this tense changing is making my head spin. It's a good thing I didn't give a fuck about grammar before I joined the war or all this dying would be _really_ confusing.

"Why do you give a fuck about the asshole?" Mellish asked. I shrugged the question off. "Nice ring," he said with his hand going toward my neck. "What is this? Your Mama's wedding ring?"

"No," I said taking it back. "It's mine and I'll fight you for it."

"You holding it for some girl?" Jackson, the sniper, asked.

"No," I said taking it off the chain. "And what part of me saying my name was _Jasmin_ didn't you understand? I! Am! A! Girl!"

"If you're a girl how did you get into the army?" with a tone like that I figured Mellish was just not hugged enough as a child.

"I've got a hell of a better shot then you," I challenged. He got up and was four inches taller then me but I sent a death glare his way. "I'll prove it if you're game."

"Let me teach you little shit a lesson," he muttered. "See that barrel over there?"

It was a good twenty yards away. i walked over to it and moved the helmet off of it and took the hammer from my belt. I didn't even know why I had the thing but I took out a deck of cards I had and nailed the nine of hears into the barrel loosely and walked. "Shoot that with a M1911A1," I said (**A/N: it's a handgun**).

"Horvath," Mellish held his hand out but Horvath was giving him his gun over his dead body. I held mine out to him which he took. He took aim and shot once. The crack ecoed and faded but I smiled. He his the card but was off to the left.

He walked over and replaced the card, showing it to me with great pride. Lucky shot. I couldn't help but smiling as I took my gun back and closed my eyes. I took six shots before opening them.

"Afraid you wouldn't hit it?" he asked. I walked over to the barrel to see that each and every one of my shots had hit where it was supposed to. I came back to the guys and showed them my card. The ace of spades was now marked with an uncharacteristic smiley face. It actually looked a bit like a hexagon but I can't be perfect all the time. Just most of the time.

His jaw dropped and I raised my eyebrows. "I actually got into the army because my brother was a doctor." I just felt like shooting something and getting these guys to fuck off.

"Really?" asked Miller not sounding particularly interested. He was coming back with some skinny boy who looked like he had less war experience then me. He was holding onto his helmet and assault rifle for dear life when I walked over to him and stuffed my playing card into his front pocket. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Corporal Upham. He's going to be our translator. Now go around the circle and state your name for Upham."

"Technical Sergeant Michael Horvath." He was from New York, I think Brooklyn.

"Daniel Jackson, your friendly neighborhood sniper."

"Reiben. BAR gunner."

"Caparzo," he held up he rifle.

"Mellish," he flicked his car into the ground. "I don't do handguns."

"I'm the medic, Wade," said Doc holding out a hand which Upham shook and dropped all his gear. I shook my head.

"Jazz Fray," I placed his helmet on his head. "Much better. You know with an assault rifle you might actually pass for a soldier in the right light. From the behind. On a foggy dock. If I was missing my glasses..."

"Jasmin," Captain snapped.

"Alright I'll stop messing with the map maker," I rolled my eyes. "I'm identifying the body."

He looked like he was going to faint. You know, I would feel bad if I still had a conscience. Good thing I lost that a few months ago.

--

We were walking through the field and I was walking next to Upham. I swear, I was going to shoot him in the head and screw the fucking Germans and their language if he didn't hurry the hell up and stay in formation.

"Upham!" I said and he caught up. "It's very simple, one foot after the other really fast. Like running, but slower."

"You're a girl right?" he said and everyone groaned.

"Yes oh brilliant leader," I said rolling my eyes. "I would challenge you to a duel but I'm not in the twenty paces mood."

"Where are you from?"

"Iowa," I answered surprised he kept up for more than three seconds.

"Oh, how did you know Ryan?"

"Do," I corrected. "I know James cause he's alive. And he's with Alex so I'll find them."

Someone snorted and I shot a death glare at his general direction.

"Who's Alex?" Upham. Again.

"My husban-to-be," I smiled at the thought.

"How old are you?" why wouldn't this guy leave me alone?

"That depends," I said. "What day is it."

"June twelfth," he said checking his watch for some unfathomable reason. "Why?"

"Then as of two days ago I am fifteen," I missed my own birthday. What kind of girl was I? Back home we would have hand a big party and invited the whole town. There would be games and music and dancing. But, of course, I would have my eyes locked on Alex who would have gotten all spruced up just for the occasion.

He would have had on my favorite red shirt and his chruch pants. I would wear the dark blue dress with the silver sash that I knew he loved on me. The only reason I figured this out was because he couldn't stop blushing the last time I wore it and went to confession the next morning. He would have managed to sneak me away for one slow dance and whisper everything I wanted to hear into my ear as he held me tight.

I smiled again at the thought but frowned when I realized it would always be only just a thought.

Live and lie or do and die.

"Wait a minute," he said stopping. "It takes two year to get through training. That means you must have signed up when you were twelve!"

"Actually it just means I'm a really good soldier who just kept getting moved up and was shipped out with the most basic of training," I turned around to drag him forward. "Can someone else watch the babe over here?" No one volunteered. "Come on, I'll beg if I have to!"

"I'll watch him if you wore a dress the next time you find one," said Reiben sarcastically.

"Deal." I knew he was joking but I wasn't going to spend anymore time playing twenty questions with Upham. Not to meantion that even though I stuck into the most unfeminine operation possible dresses didn't bother me. I took his position in our formation. I didn't mind wearing a dress so much as I got married in it. When I find Alex, I promised myself. When I find Alex.

We traveled in silence for a long time. No one spoke so much as we listened. Mostly to our own thought but I couldn't help but take in the beauty of this place. I watched the skies darken with fasenation. It started to pour buckets on us and I could hear gunshots in the distance.

_"S'io credesse che mia rsposta fosse," _I said with a smile.

"What the fuck was that?" yep, Mellish said that one.

_"a persona che mai tornasse al mondo" _I finished. "I said 'before me things created were none, save things. Eternal, and eternal I endure. All hape abandon, ye who enter here.' What? You never read the _Inferno?_ Oh, for shame Mr. Mellish. It's a rather wonderful story about hell. You might like it."

* * *

"Perolli!" yelled someone from behind me. I turned around to see my lead officer in front of me.

It was raining heavily. Couldn't see three feet in front of my face through this water. The sad thing is that I was used to it. I had missed my drop zone by... well, if I was any furter over I would be speaking Spanish.

"Yes sir?" I said standing straight and looking him in where I thought were his eyes.

"Come with me."

I was watching the border of the camp but someone quickly took over for me. The tents were really no help, you were as wet inside as you were out. The only difference was that I was in the same room as people that gave me orders. I tried to clean my self up a little, wiping the dirt away from my face and standing on my toes.

"At ease soldier," my commanding officer said.

"Hello father," I noticed Father Beckan, our medic, was also in the tent. He was standing over some German prisoner that I had an overwhelming urge to kick. We caught the bastard drunk as a skunk and he almost shot me.

"Good afternoon Alexander," he said. "Send that letter to young Jasmin yet?"

"No," I grinned. He always remembered the girls we had back home and knew I was set to marry Jazz the second I got back. I wasn't even going to wait to get out of uniform when I got back to my little Iowa town. Right to the church was my plan. "But I'm counting the days."

"You're going to have to count a little longer," said someone in full military uniform. I fought to not roll my eyes but stood straight as an arrow.

"What do you mean sir?" I asked. The German soldier below me garbled something.

'I'm the prettiest girl at the ball,' I translated that into. Now more than ever I was happy I knew how to speak German. Not so much seeing that I kept getting dirty looks because I had the blond hair and blue eyes even though I was Italian. How that one happened was one for the scientists.

"Well this bag of flees right here just got to his unit a few hours back," said the guy in the uniform. I wasn't liking where this was going. I was starting to see the facial similarities between me and the German man. Oh! They better not!

"Sir?" I asked in a level tone but I could feel my mussels getting tighter.

"Long story short, we're going to ask you to impersonate this man and report back to us."

"WHAT!?" I yelled but composed myself. "I think that's not a rather good idea."

"You aren't getting paid to think."

"I'm not getting paid at all," I reminded him. "And I don't have the training. I'm a paratrooper, not...whatever this guy does. Not to mention that I had six months training before you shipped me out here. I'm not nearly qualified to-"

"We're not asking you to dress up as Hitler," he shut me up. I was glaring and forgetting to breathe but he carried on. "A few months is the longest it would take. After that you'll be on the next ship back home, no strings attached."

I was weighing my morals against my need to see Jasmin. If I was caught I would be killed or taken prisoner and that wouldn't be very good seeing that I preferred living to see age sixteen. But if I didn't get out of here it could be another year before I got to see my girl. I missed her so much and I rubbed my thumb along my wedding band.

"I'll do it," I said. "But you better not dye my hair."

I grumbled incoherently a few hours later when I walked back to the German camp. It was going to be long three months.

--  
**i know this is historically wrong but deal people.  
cough cough review**


	3. Chpt 3: girls back home

**A/N: _please_review... i'm not killing caparzo because he happens to be my favorite character next to jackson. all translations are right in my eyes.**

"Come on Adrian!" I said taking the little girl from him. "We so do not have time for this!"

"The decent thing to do would be-"

"Get out of there!" I yelled pulling back towards our group. "I'm not getting your brains blown out by some damn sniper!"

_"Arrêtez s'il vous plaît de crier assez longtemps pour moi pour penser,"_ I said sweetly to the little girl. I spoke French fluently which helped seeing that I gave her an extravagant version of: shut up so I can think. _"Allez maintenant à cet endroit"_I pointed to Reiben and she ran over to him.

"When did you learn French?" asked Miller.

"Alex taught me!" I yelled grabbing Caparzo by the arm and dragging him back to the blow up house. "Jackson, check that tower!"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I said so!" I ordered. "If you were a German sniper, where would you be hiding?" I pointed towards the bell tower in case he didn't get the hint.

"Nothing's out there!" said Hovarth. "And leave the ordering to the Captain."

"Just check it out Jackson" said the Captain calmly. "I'll buy back the bullets if she's wrong."

Jackson got behind a stack of rubble and adjusted his scope towards the bell tower. I waited for the shot and squinted. There was a resounding crack and I smiled. I could almost sense the death of the sniper.

"Happy now?" he asked.

"Very," I walked across slowly from one side of the street to the next. "See, no threat."

We ended up getting the child back on Captains very loud orders and we got through without my further paranoia. I just didn't want anyone else to die unless they killed someone I knew. Well, technically, that was everyone in the damn war but I preferred to keep by vigilantly lifestyle as normal as I could.

Somehow we ended up packing up in an old church and an overwhelming wave of depression hit me. I didn't even realize it but halfway through the night I started to cry.

"I'm getting some air," I said walking out of the church before anyone can stop me.

"What's up with her?" I heard Reiben ask.

"She was expecting to be in a wedding dress the next time she was at church," Wade said.

He was right and I didn't want to admit it. But I felt the photos in my pocket and kissed my wedding ring again. I needed a long walk right about now. I have to say that when I saw the bell tower I wanted to see if there really had been a German soldier there.

It didn't really help to see that when I got there that there was a German in fact there with his dried blood running down the steps. I stepped over his body and looked through the scope of his Karabiner 98k pointed right at where Caparzo had been standing. The only reason I could tell was because someone was getting that French family out of the house and there was enough lights to see the piano.

I guess I was a little happy that Jackson shot this German asshole through the eye and that Adrian was still alive. He was my favorite one of the group, next to Jackson and Wade. I guess that I'm just good at this whole war thing. Thank God I'm done when I get back.

I picked up the soldier's helmet and held it arm's length away from me the entire walk back to our comfy little church. I threw it at the feet of Jackson like a Frisbee.

"Congradulations," I said unemotionally taking my place back by my blanket.

"What the f..." not even Jackson had the nerve to curse in a church. "What's this?"

"The helmet of the sniper that had Adrian in his cross-hairs," I ripped out a back page of the Bible and started to draw on it with Upham's pencil. "Now say 'thank you' Adrian, Danny just did you a big favor."

He grumbled a thank you and I smiled and continued drawing.

"Just because I know you're all dying to tell me, who has a lady friend back home?" Everyone raised their hands. Okay then. "Reiben, just because your a first class a-hole you may proceed."

Everyone groaned, including the Captain.

"Alright. alright," said Reiben. "I won't go into any details to spare little Jazzy the torture. But I have this amazing girl back home. Her name is Angel and...let me tell you-"

"This girl fell down from the heavens," everyone else completed and I couldn't stop laughing.

"What part of 'let me tell you' didn't you understand?"

"Okay, Hovarth, you're next!" I got out clutching my sides.

"I'm married to Amanda," he said thinking back to those good married times. "Listen Jasmin, you better never torture this Alex guy cause it's hell."

"I intend on torturing him until the wedding night," I smiled picking up the Bible and continuing my little sketch on it.

"Whatcha drawing?" asked Mellish trying to see but I quickly covered it but kicked the bench where Upham was sleeping. With my luck he woke up.

"The Germans are coming!" he yelled falling out and putting on his helmet.

"Thanks a bunch Paul Reveer but I think I'll sit tight," I said holding back a laugh. "Come on Upham, we're talking about girls back home and, in my case, men on the battlefield. You got a girl?"

"No," snorted Caparzo. And people nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I do."

"Mothers don't count Corpral," to my surprise it was the Captain who said this. Everyone started laughing and I held back tears.

"No, tell us about her Upham," I took a deep breath and waited.

"Well, her name's Bertha and-"

I never got to learn about Upham's social life because I started laughing like crazy. The Captain chuckled to himself while even Wade was hitting the ground in laughter. The Corpral was redder than a summer tomato, whether in anger or embarrassment I couldn't tell.

"Mellish?"

"Jenna," he said. "And this girl has got it all. She can take you to every base and back. Long brown hair and blue eyes, she's got it going on upper and bottom."

"Too much information," I said rolling my eyes. "Adrian?"

"Why do you call me by my first name?" he asked.

"'Cause Micky might hurt me, Richy doesn't really stick, I guess I could call Upham Timmy but I already think so lowly of the guy it wouldn't help, and I don't think I could shorten Irwin or Stanly to anything," I said. "Don't worry Jackson, I didn't forget you. But I respect you too much to call you Danny."

"Thank you," he nodded his head at me. "And, come on, tell us about this Alex guy you joined a war for."

Mellish batted his eyelashes at me. "I still wanna see you in that dress!" said Reiben.

"The dress can wait," I said and he gave an exasperated sigh. "But, Alex's last name is Perolli but, you're gonna love this, he looks like a German."

There was bunch of "No!"s and I took out my picture.

"This is us at my Jame's birthday," I said showing the polaroid of me dancing with Alex. I was wearing a white dress with red ribbons and he had on a normal suit. "You can see James in the background a bit. That's Daniel punching him. It's a guy thing," I forgot who I was talking to for a minute.

The guys passed around the picture of my blond hair, blue eyes, fiance. They were all joking around with me and I rolled my eyes. Mellish even gave me a "you clean up good" and I punched him on the arm hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Ow!" he said.

"Take it like a man," I got my photo back. "And Alex is not German. He speaks German though. And Italian, French, Spanish, and was learning Latin."

"What the hell did this guy want to do when he grew up?" asked Reiben.

"A doctor," I looked at Wade. "He said that his greatest joy in life was helping others. Of course I think he's lying because it's a doctor's coat or a wrench where his family wants him. Alex like to fix stuff up but want a better life for me and our kids."

"You have kids?" asked Hovarth chocking on whatever he just drank.

"No, but we both want four," I said. "Nearly have the names picked out. And I'm not naming any of them after you!" There were more groans. "Anyway, he went into the army at fifteen because he wanted to be a paratrooper. I don't see the draw to jumping out of a plane and breaking my neck but he though it might be fun.

"The guys picked on him all through training but something about us farm kids, with so many brothers we know how to fight like those city boys," I remembered when I proved it back at basic training. "He would mail me diagrams of battle positions and I would practice them at night in the backyard.

"I don't really thing that Alex wanted to go into the war," I said. "He couldn't stand hurting anyone that didn't hurt him or the family. One time he sent a boy into the city hospital for three weeks because he beat up his little brother. Annoying little brat too, his name was Richard."

"You're all just jealous," he said running his fingers through his hair.

_"Si nous étions tous aussi beaux que vous, nous vivrions sous les ponts"_ I said.

"That sounds beautiful," said Caparzo. "French always gets me."

"I see," I said. "I just said, 'if we were all as beautiful as you, we would live under bridges.'"

We all had another good laugh and we got to end our day in hell with one piece of happiness. One night's conversation was all it took. It would get that feeling of being the puzzle piece jammed into a spot too tight just vanish. For one more night I felt at home with my brothers.

**A/N: it was a pain getting those translations done right so please review and tell me i didn't get them wrong cause that would really suck.**


	4. Chpt 4: POW of Reinne

"Lukas!" yelled someone from behind me. Yes, I was Lukas Schmid. The American version of that would be Luke Smith and I'm from some small town in German I've pretty much made up. And I'm a sniper! Imagine my overjoyment to watch my fellow American soldiers in the cross hairs. I never wanted to kill anyone and if I did need to shoot someone I aimed for the left hand or arm or something they could do without. I tried to miss half the time but my misses ended up hitting someone else so now I was just trying to hit them.

I'm such a good person. Sarcasm drips off my voice in every language _but_ German. Yeah.

"Lukas!" the called again grabbing me by the shoulder. Why wouldn't these people leave me alone. "Where were you?" I translated that into.

"Just walking," I said. The German military was far from what I was used to. Hell, I'm a paratrooper and they're snipers. How does that make sense to anyone?

Oh, and, just for the record, I don't look good with brown hair. I'm not allowed to be an Italian Aerian. Geez thanks a million America.

* * *

"He's not the guy!" I yelled, my voice cracking.

"I'm not which guy?" asked they Ryan who isn't.

"James Ryan," everyone else said.

"But I am James Ryan," was this guy dense or what?

"Not the one we're looking for," I pushed past Miller and got a closer look. "No. Absolutely not a chance in hell he's James Frances Ryan."

"Are you Ryan?" asked Reiben losing patience. "We're breaking our asses trying to find you,so just tell us."

"James Fredrick Ryan," he said. "Minnesota. Why? What are you trying to tell me? Is something wrong?"

"You have got to be kidding me!" groaned Reiben.

"Pack it up boys," said Miller. "And girl. Does anyone here know where we can find someone from the a hundred and first airborne?"

"The guy with the broken foot is from the 101," said someone from behind me. I guess he though I was the girl, he should be a detective!

_Later... cause i'm lazy and haven't watched the movie in a month..._

I was sorting through dog tags with the guys. Frederic, Alonzo, Nealson, no, no, no. This wasn't very productive.

"Come on Reiben," I said. "Stop throwing your tags into my pile! Keep your dead in your own god damn pile!"

"Fuck you," he said throwing them into his own growing pile.

"You wish you could," I muttered going through some more names. "Hey Reiben, you're dead," I showed him the tag.

"What the-"

As he tried to read it I jammed my palm into the bottom of his nose hard enough to _just _not break it. Captain Miller shook his head and Horvath was smiling in spite of himself.

"R-I-E-N-N-E" I read the one Reiben was looking ate. "Did you ever graduate the third grade?"

* * *

"Jüden," someone said. I had my hand behind my head and was walking forward. When I said I feared becoming a prisoner of war, I was referring to a German one. Being an American POW sucked too.

"Jüden," they repeated.

"Did you ever graduate the third grade?" I heard a soldier ask. They sounded a lot like Jasmin. I crannied my neck to look at the man when I actually saw Jazz. "Honestly Reiben, that's French. Go back to school after the war."

Yep. That's Jasmin.

I stopped in front of the American soldier who kept saying that he was Jewish. He reminded me strongly of the officer who wouldn't believe I was American. I did everything short of singing the Star Spangled Banner for him and he still didn't believe me! I didn't have the best set of pipes.

"What's you problem?" he asked me.

"Move," I said pushing past him. "Now."

I guess he didn't take my comment seriously seeing that after I was behind him he turned me around and punched me in the face. The jaw if you want to go into specifics. The next thing I knew, I was staring down the barrel of some hand gun I didn't know the name of.

I grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, firring off all the rounds into the dirt while he cursed like a sailor. Then I let go of him and walked forward. By now everyone from the little crate-table Jasmine was sitting at had gotten up. She had a gun pointed in between my eyes and I had to admit it was a little of a turn on. I squinted a little to make sure it was her. I would know those eyes anywhere.

"Jazz," I smiled. Her glare fadded into a look of confusion before her eyes sparkled like they did in all my dreams.

"Alex!" she yelled and threw her arms around me. She was five inches shorter than me but damn tall for her age. "What did you do to your hair?"

"_This _is your Alex guy?" asked one of the guys. Reiben, I read off his swinging dog-tags. "You exaggerated your descriptions."

"Shut up," she muttered kissing me long and hard. I had been waiting for this a long ass time. I pulled her tighter and didn't let go until someone cleared their throat. "Oh, hi Captain Miller!"

"Captain?" I asked. "Wait, why are in France Jazz?"

"Why are you a prisoner of war? she countered. "and why does it say Schmid on your pocket and why is your hair brown?"

"All really good questions," I smirked and Jazz crossed her arms. "Um...well, long story short, I'm a terrible spy, can't be a sniper to save my life, and I DO NOT LOOK GERMAN!'

"You kind of do," said that Reiben guy and I rolled my eyes.

"Germans aren't this cute," she kissed me again with equal passion but pulled away quickly. "Which brings me back to my previous statement. Alex, meet my Captain, Capt. Miller. We're on a search and rescue for James."

"Ryan?" the one from down the street? He had one hell of an annoying smile, I couldn't remember what he looked like but I could remember that.

"Yeah, he brothers died," she sounded really sad. "All of them. I have to break the news to him."

"We both know that's not why you faked your medical papers and joined the army," I smiled. "And I dropped with James about twenty miles off or so in a place called Burneville. I remember that because I hit the sign. So we were going to go to this rally point here when someone came around looking for some men to go to Ramalle. James volunteered and I got stuck spying on the God damn Germans."

"Such language Mr. Perolli," Jazz smirked at me and I raised me eyebrows.

"Get a room!" Reiben yelled and I chuckled kissing my fiancee like there was no tomorrow. The Captain parted us to my dipleasure.

"Not everyone knows she's a girl," he said. "And you're still a POW."

"So do you need anyone else to help you find James?" I asked. "I'll work for freedom."

"Please," Jazz batted her eyelashes and I gravitated even closer to her. "I'll stop slapping Reiben."

"But you've never lay a hand on me."

She slapped him across I winced. That was gonna sting in the morning. Don't ask, Jazz and I didn't exactly meet on the best of terms. But the corners of my mouth twitched up in a smile at the red hand print on his cheek.

"I promise not to slap Reiben," she repeated.

The Captain Miller smiled and I could tell he was going to let me go along. He just wanted Jazz to slap Reiben a few more times. They went around and said their names but it was going to take me a while to remember them all. I had Reiben, Milller, and Wade down but I kept getting Mellish and Upham mixed up to Mellish's immediate distaste. But I was fine with Caparzo and Jackson. Maybe he could teach me how to actually be a sniper...

I was going to have to find someone to marry us ASAP. I couldn't bare these thought anymore.

**review! i need ideas. who has a suggestion? see the purple button? push it!  
ll  
v**


	5. Chpt 5: fastforward to the wedding

**So i wrote a soc paper for like 4 hours and i put it up as a document (i accidentally killed My Documents) and it only came up as 915 words. WTF!? anywayz i fast forwarded a lot cause im just going to wrap this up. Um, Wade died, Alex shot the German guy in the head because he recognized who he was, they found Ryan, all preperations for sticky bombs have been completed...**

"That is it Perolli!" yelled Melish. Hey, not my fault I just robbed him of 200 in poker. Okay, maybe it is. I can just keep a really straight face. "I'm out."

"Of money," said Jazz. Of course she was winning but only because she knew all my signs and I knew everyone elses. Am I the only one who sees the injustice? Probably... "Come on Alex, give the poor boy his money back."

Money no longer had value to me. Seeing that I couldn't count German money to save my life I was just happy to be able to tell the difference between fifty dollars and one. Thinking about money I was suddenly sidetracked.

"Jazz, where does your father think you are?" I asked. That man was going to let me marry his daughter over his dead body. I didn't come from the richest of families.

She bit her lip and I almost forgot to breath. Concentrate Alex.

"Um..." she stalled. "I told him I ran away with you."

"But I was drafted before you could have even gotten in," I said putting my cards down. For some odd reason Jazz didn't have the nine of hearts which Melish needed to win. "Right?"

"I kind of found the letter from the army in your mail and forged my medical papers that afternoon."

"Jazz!"

"I'm sorry," she looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. Damn her. She didn't even know what she was doing to me! "But, oh I don't know why I did it, I just..." she couldn't find the right words. "Everyone in my family has gone into the army. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"Where's Jasper then?" I asked. She was posing as her older brother and all.

"He died somewhere in Korea," she said coldly. I still saw her uneven breaths as she held back tears and tried to keep her voice steady. "Someone told me I had the same name as their friend. I guess there was a lapse in the records or else the officials though there were two Jasper Ryans from Iowa."

I ran my finger through my hair. It was a nervous habbit I made no attempt to break. Jazz fiddled with her hands, holding her breath for me to say something. I was at a lose.

"What about your other brothers?" I asked.

"David, Kevin, and Liam are KIA," she said. "And Jasper. So four of them not counting Shawn who was like a brother."

"Wow, wow, wow, back up," said Mellish coming back over. "Four of your brothers died while Ryan's only lost three."

"It's not a contest!" she screamed at him, her voice cracking an octave up.

"Sorry," the words were hallow. "But that means that some guy could have sent some unit all the way across France looking for you. And meanwhile your running around like a chicken without a head looking for this Ryan guy you know all about."

"They enlisted under different names," I said, interpreting. "Jazz's full name is Jasmine Naomi Lee-Fray. The boys in the family look far more Asian so they adopted the name Lee while Jazz kept Fray."

"How-"

"I'm marrying her," I cut him off. "You'd think I might know these things."

"Yes let's never underestimate the power of Alexander Perolli," said Reiben extravagantly. He was practically bleeding money and Jazz and I were sharks. He might have been the least bit bitter.

"Jackson?" I asked. "You think you could show me how to use that?"

"No," he said calmly reading some book in French called _Wind of the Hallows_. Main character dies at the end, a little lacking in plot, and a tad romancy for my taste. But hey, I'm not judging. "You don't learn it."

"Alrighty then," said Jazz setting her cards down. "Can I talk to you alone Alex?"

"Sure..."

We walked a bit before we were away from everyone else. We passed the guards on the bridge and were on the highest part. Everyone had figured out Jazz was a girl by now. I mean, she practically screamed it to the heaven when she started looking around closets for a dress.

"I want to get married," she said flatly. "Here and now."

"No, I promised you we are going to do this the right way," I held my ground. I had no clue how many times we had gone through this conversation in those two weeks before I left. Let's see... eighteen times fourteen is...carry the three...

"Alexander Perolli I love you," not a hint of doubt or irony in her voice. "I don't care if we're too young, or our families don't mix, or that I'm in the middle of a freaking war, I want to be Mrs. Jasmin Perolli."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I took her hand and felt the ring. "I promised your father a white wedding."

"And I promised myself to you," her brown eyes softened with a look I hadn't seen since weeks before I shipped out. "I _need_ this wedding. I _need_ you to be mine forever in a way that people won't give us looks or say it's just a faze."

It wasn't just a faze. We only get one shot at true love and mine happened to come around when I was younger than most. I remembered throwing pebbles at her window until she order me away because I cracked the glass. She told her father a bird flew into it. I stayed silent with my mouth drawn in a thin line. I had to think this one through...

"First thing tomorrow," I smiled. Jazz's face brightened as she kissed me so hard I had to lean against the edge of the bridge.

We were going to divide and conquer and seeing that I forgot to give messages over the phone, Jazz was going to be in charge of most of the planning. All I had to do was find a best man, a tux, and someone that had the legal ability to marry us. That last one was going to be a little tough...

The first person I went to would have to be James. We weren't the best of friends back home but I painted his house and he owned me a favor. Not to mention that Upham irked me. He's irksome.

James was off in some remote corner of a building. His was staring at the wall in the middle of a dark room. It was twilight outside but the only windo faced east. I turned to leave when he stopped me.

"Talk," he said calmly. "I don't care about what, just talk. Get my mind away from here."

"I'm getting married in the morning if I can find a priest and suite," I said. "Jazz snuck into the army."

"I know," he forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I figured it out when she said 'that's him, i would know that god damn smile anywhere.' How did she do it?"

"Jasmin, Jasper, same difference," I shrugged. "So do you want to be my best man?"

"Sure," he said as if it were nothing. I sat down next to him and looked into the wall. The paint was peeling and I shifted uncomfortably on the wood floor. I didn't need to guess what he was thinking about.

"It's ironic," he said out of no where. "You two getting married. In the middle of a war no less. You're getting married while everyone's dy-"

He couldn't even choke out the last word. He put his head in his hands and took a deep breath.

"Who would've ever thought we'd be this far from home?" he asked.

"You always said that you wanted a change in the scenery," I joked and James smiled a bit. "Have you heard from that girl back home? What's-her-name?"

"Anna," he said. "I don't think I've sent word in months, let alone received a letter. I can't even picture her face."

"Dark hair, bright blue eyes," I went on. She worked in the same store as me part time and taking a walk through my home town helped me get to sleep many a night. "Always smelt like-"

"Roses," James completed closing his eyes. "She had these rose bushed out back and every morning she went out and put a fresh bunch on the kitchen tables. And her eyes were green, not blue."

"Hey, it's been I while," I laughed some which traveled to James who had uneven chuckles.

"It certainly has," he sighed and I took a deep breath as well. "I think I know where you can get that priest but you might have to exchange the tux for a navy uniform."

"Jazz would marry me in overalls and a checked shirt," I laughed getting up and extending a hand to James who took it but practically pulled me to the floor. "What the freak?" I had an aversion to cursing.

"Some things never change," he rolled his eyes.

There was a Rabi from Delaware who couldn't marry us legally because we weren't even State side. Not to mention neither of us was Jewish. As for the navy uniform...it was cleaner than my clothes and was the closest I was getting to a tuxedo.

* * *

"You think I'm making a mistake," I said to Miller. Not a question, a statement. "You think I'm too young to marry Alex."

"That is not my place," he said not trying to push past me. I had him cornered in an alley anyway so escape was futile. "I hope you two are happy together."

"I kinda want to ask you something..." I bit my bottom lip. "It's stupid really, I shouldn't even be asking you but-"

"Spit it out Fray," he cut me off.

"Will you walk me down the aisle?" I asked quickly, preparing myself for a let down or some form of chastisement. It's not everyday a fifteen year old sneaks into the army and wants her head officer to walk her down the aisle to her seventeen year old husband. The things that happen in Iowa...

"Sure," he shrugged and I let him pass, walking on his left.

I raised my eyebrows but remained silent. Hey, if he was willing to do it then I was fine. I guessed that I wouldn't be legally married but hey, it counted enough for me!

I found my dress which fit me well enough. At least since the last time I wore a dress which was the Sunday before I shipped out. I hadn't exactly had time to try it on. My hair wasn't doing anything and a bouquet was out of the question. No problem, flowers make me sneeze.

"Jazz!" yelled Alex coming up behind me. I turned around to find him with some kind of suit over his shoulder and a man following him that wasn't James who stood to the left.

"Hey hon," I kissed him lightly on the shoulder. "What's going on?"

"We're going to protect the bridge tomorrow, right?"

I nodded as did Miller and James.

"Well why not get married now?" he was obviously excited which lit a fire under me. "I mean, it was this or a navy uniform and no white after Labor Day. I've got a religious guy, a best man, and the rings."

"I don't care what you're smoking but give me five minutes," he smiled as I sprinted off into the old hotel all of us were staying at. I forced Alex to stay outside. Inside I took the stair three at a time before I came to the third floor which was miraculously intact. I pushed open the door and looked at the six guys in the room. Even though it was jammed pack it seemed oddly empty without Wade.

"All of you out now," I commanded and Mellish looked a me like I was mental. "Come on, I have to get dressed! My wedding is in ten minutes and if you're not all there I'm going to personally make sure you never have kids."

I've never seen six men in full army gear get out of a room that fast.

I didn't have time to think about it as I slammed the shutters closed and stripped down to my undergarments. I quickly washed my face and arms and the rest of me was relatively clean. I just needed to get married as soon as physically possible. Proper reception or not, this was it.

The dress was the only I could find. Guess I was wearing black to my wedding. It was actually a really dark blue that looked to me like black but everyone else said it was blue. There were small pinpricks of red and it was long enough to reach my shins which was still a bit short.

The neck line was square and plunged but it was a bit tight. Guess I grew since that Sunday at church. Oh well, I didn't have a mirror as I ran down the staircase without shoes on. Army issued boots would throw everything off.

"Jasmin," Upham caught me by the arm. "Here," he handed me a makeshift bouquet of silk flowers and origami ones. Even though everything was thrown together so clumsily that my untrained eye caught the imperfections, it was the though that counted.

"Thanks," I walked out to see everyone was gone. I think that even I, the most unconventional bride in the history of forever, would have preferred a reception a little more formal.

Upham lead me to the damn bridge. I was beginning to have mixed feelings sent out about this bridge. On the other side stood an orderly looking man with a book in his hands and James. I had no maid of honor or flower girl but that was fine. The only issue was that Alex wasn't at the other end of the bridge. Of all the days to be late!

The Captain had cleaned up a bit as did everyone else. Miller met me at the end of the bridge even though my eyes were locked on where Alex was supposed to be standing at the other end. As if I willed it into place, Alex came running down the side still buttoning his jacket and tying his tie. Yep, that's my husband. The Captain took my arm in a fatherly manor and I walked down the aisle.

There was no music and no lanterns. There was a faint smell of cigar smoke in the air, I cut myself on the paper flowers and I didn't even have on shoes. Lining the bridge were my newest of friends and playful enemies (cough cough Mellish) and they all had smiles, none as tight as I imagined my family's. I stumbled on the cobblestones but picked myself up.

I reached the end of the aisle without killing myself. Only I could trip on my wedding march. I met Alex at the end.

"You look beautiful," he said not in attempt to avoid the fact he almost missed our wedding.

"You're late," I muttered with a smile.

"You're not the only one who gets a big endurance," said Alex with a grin. I gave him a face and looked towards the man who was going to marry us. I was compelled to say "any day now" but repressed it.

"Dearly..." beloved didn't fit in the category. "Family..." weren't here.

"Can we skip to the end?" I asked.

"Yes," agreed Alex. "We're a bit eager."

"We are gathered her today to celebrate," he went on.

"The very end," said Alex holding my hands. His hands were shaking slightly and I gave them a little squeeze. He said that he owed me a white wedding. I said any wedding I would, I made the mistake of saying, "I'll marry you in the middle of a war."

At least I'm true to my word.

"Do you, Jasmine Fray, take Alexander Perolli to have and hold in sickness and health, for better or for wor-" he was trying but I couldn't wait any longer.

"Yeah, sure whatever," I said not breaking my gaze into Alex's gleaming eyes. "I do."

"Do you, Alexan-"

"I do," he rushed kissing me so hard.

"You may now kiss the bride," the man rolled his eyes but I hardly noticed. Alex's hand settled somewhere on my lower back and the other held my cheek. He only broke away to pick me up bridal style.

"Alexander Perolli!" I yelled in mock protest. Our friends were laughing and joking around, saying we were bound to come up for air eventually. I guess half the guys though of us as little siblings instead of brothers in arms. I think I caught three people crying, Adrian amongst them.

Most of them were making bets on how long we would be at "it" in the hotel room. The longest I heard was til sunrise. I made a mental note to kick Mellish's ass later. Reiben too.

"Now what shall we do Mrs. Perolli?" he asked with one eyebrow raised as he carried me to the enterance of the little hotel which was now unpopulated.

"I've got a couple of ideas..."

--  
**well people, only one chapter left. yes i'm being lazy and inconsiderate but i have six major tests coming up. who knew you got a test in gym that was administered by the state? well it counts towards my final average even though i think my teacher is making that up.  
so for those of you who think it's more of a love story in stead of a war story i have a gift for you in the next chapter. i guess mellow radio isn't helping though...  
jace!**


	6. Chpt 6: no mas

When I woke up one of my hands was hooked behind my head which was resting on my upper arm. My other hand layed on Alex's bare chest. He was awake and looking into my eyes...apologetically?

"Hey you," I said with morning still in my voice.

"Jazz," he whispered, nose touching mine. "I'm so sorry. I- We didn't- You could be pregnant."

My breath hitched. I was fifteen for Christ's sake! I thought about it for what seemed like an eternity before I finally spoke.

"I like the name Johnathon for a boy," I said quietly. Besides, the chances of me getting pregnant were one in a million. "Juliet for a girl."

"Johnathon?" he raised his eyebrows and gave me a crooked smile. "I bit too common for my taste. Juliet's nice though."

"Well we all can't have names like Ashted," I said. "Hm, that's a nice name. What about Ashted?"

"I'ld like that," Alex said. "Come on, we have to go protect that damn bridge. By the way, Reiben won the bet last night."

"Damn," I shook my head in mock disappointment. "What was his wagger again?"

"You don't want to know," he smiled pulling on a shirt. I followed his lead putting on ample clothing. I fixed my hair as much as a could and grabbed an assault rifel from next to the door.

Alex got his clothes on in half the time it took me and he smiled at the sight of me with a gun. According to last nice he found it as a big turn on. Alrighty then. When we walked out I was greated with sarcastic applaused. I went red while Alex took a bow.

"Reiben, don't make me slap you again," he stopped with a roll of his eyes and I saw that everyone else had already suited up. Some of them were missing, Jackson was probably in a tower somewhere with a sniper rifle.

The rest of us disperced into our positions. Alex and I were seperated as he went to the bridge and I stood somewhere in the middle of town. He was to be handling the explosives agasint my will but he assured that it was the only thing he could do now that his paratrouping days were over. With a smile we bit adu and I took my possition with Miller and Ryan.

Some of the guys snickered and pointed with their chin when I passed. Me by the more mature of the group I stuck out my toung and glarred like a five year. A glare by Mller silenced me and I became infatuated with my boots. It was odd wearing them without socks but it was a sacrifice that I was going to have to make for the home country. Maybe they'll give me a pension...yeah, not likely.

I felt the tanks before I heard them. I knew that the Germans were going to be sending tanks to take the bridge but jesus (or whatever supreme being you happen to believe in) were they leaving any treds back in Germany?

My thoughts were interupted by being fired upon. One helluva way to wake a person up. I took my assault rifel and took refuge behind a pile of rubble and lifted my rifel.

You know, I never was sniper material. Of course it didn't bother me that I was killing another human being. You get over that when your brother dies. But murder wasn't an exact science to me. When I picked up that gun I didn't have to worry about wind speeds or humidity. It was all very simple to me. Point and shoot, that's how you win a war.

There was a significant lack of firing and we started to move towards the bridge but James kept going too fast. Once or twice I even had to pull him back by the collar. I grenade went off behind me pelting my neck with debris and I wiped dirt away from my eyes. I was being pulled forward, stumbling over my own feet, following Miller to the bridge.

My arm flew back but I didn't feel it. Well I felt the brute force but I did not feel the least bit of pain. I new the action wasn't involuntary and when I touched my arm my hand pulled away red. I was bleeding, not blood but adrenalin.

We were being fired on and I fired five times. Five less Germans to worry about. All hell was breaking loose around me as I heard a bomb go off. My stomach turned over at the though of Alex not making it to the tank before the bomb blew up. Why did he have to chose explosives? A blast went off again and I shook it off. I had the bridge in my sights and I could make out Alex's features vaguely.

I watched as Alex put a sock bomb or a stick bomb or wahtever we called it and I stopped breathing. That fuse was dangerously short but he got it on in time to blow the treds off. He and a few other men, Alex obviously the youngest, climbed up to the tank's hatch and emptied fire into it.

I don't think I had ever been this close to an enemy tank. Sure I had seen them and even fired at them but never had I been within ten feet of one. Damn they were big. This matter naught once the tank was mobilized and was a 2 ton road block. Ash looked back at me with that smiled and I could feel the traitor blush creep into my cheeks.

He montioned to the bridge with his head and I followed. When we got to the other side we took cover underneath the wall and I started to fire at the Germans. I looked over the wall to see lines upon lines of German advancing. My jaw dropped. They were not supposed to be sending that much! I took the ammo Alex was handing me and I emptied it. I felt that cold fear in my stomach and I tried to take a deep breath when the detenator was shot up right next to us. We ducked back even further

"Jazz," he said taking my shaking hands. "You have to go back, you're hurt!"

"_We_ have to go back," I said risking a glance at those soldiers. They had even more tanks... "No, we're married, in this together!"

He seemed rather sad. Too sad but my brain wasn't function. "Jazz, I love you. Forever," he gave me a kiss and held me close. "I'll be right behind you."

We both got up and I started to run. The weight of my armor and pack were nothing as I sprinted to the opposite end and got down beside James in bags of sand. I looked around for Alex and I couldn't find him. Left, right, in front... James was crushing my arm in a vise rufusing to let go no matter how I pulled. When I pulled myself up I saw Alex connecting some wires.

"No!" I screamed as if while I poured my heart into the word it would be enought to bring him back. Just as he finished connecting red wire to red wire, he looked back and gave me an appologectic smile before he blew the bridge to hell, himself still on it.

* * *

Jasmin cried all the tears war had left in her. She cried for her sacrifice, for her brothers, for her lies, but mostly for the husban she only got to have for a day. Alexander Perolli was given the Congressional Medal of Honor and when the brass came down to congraduate Miller and Ryan they found them with Private Jasper Fray.

Jazz explained everying half sobbing but still angry that they had called her "son." She was discharged but given Alex's medal because they were technically married seeing that at the time the German age of marriage was fifteen which was raised in later years.

While she never set foot in the state of Iowa again, Jazz live in Chicago with her only son, Ashted Perolli. Jasmin never married again but worked as a seemstrees downtown. To pay the bills she waitressed at a local diner.

Ashted, against his mother's wishes, joined the army. They had a fight over the matter in which Jasmin called her son Alex on a number of occasions. When Alex pried for more information on his father Jazz quickly changed the subject.

Jazz Perolli died June 22nd, 1981 in a car accident. She was twenty-seven.

Her funeral was a private service in which Captain Miller attended with his wife. Daniel Jackson, Richard Rieben, Adrian Caparzo, Stanley Mellish, Timothy Upham, and Michael Morvath all attended. Ashted found out who his mother and father were and later discovered Alexander Vincent Perolli's Medal of Honor in shoebox above the closet.

He remained close friends with his mother's war allies and even went back to Iowa to reconsile his families. This was, of course, after he served in the Persian Gulf War recieving two purple hearts and a silver star among many award. He always joked that if his mother could do it so could he.

Ashted later married and had two children names Jasmin and Alexander who hated each other until they hit coledge and Ashted told them the story of their namesakes. They never argued again.

Fin.


End file.
